Anything For You
by Mother Mnemosyne
Summary: Jawbreaker, but not related to my other series at all. Vanellope takes drastic measures to make Ralph see they are meant to be.
1. Prologue

Anything For You

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Prologue

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It hadn't been easy. Code was so much more than numbers, after all. You couldn't change it properly, make it right, without an artist's touch. Luckily, there was a bit of an artist inside Vanellope, and more of one inside Crumbelina who had been only too happy to help. It was Crumbs' idea that they reach out to Princess Peach, and that's what really helped speed up the process.

The blonde princess was more than happy to lend a hand, a bunch of mushrooms, and many nights use of a private room inside her castle. Crumbelina took some measurements, wrote them down, made some small alterations where she thought they'd be more aesthetically pleasing. Peach even helped when she mentioned some changes that would be needed, and started looking into others they may not of thought of, too; clothes, furniture, cart, even the castle itself. It would all need adjustment.

This would make Ralph see. Vanellope knew it; the only thing holding him back was his limited mindset. He would listen after this.

After several days, and much planning, she let Crumbelina into the code room inside the castle. After all, she couldn't do this on her own. And Crumbs really was much more creative than she was.

"Thank you SO much," Vanellope said, handing her the finished designs. "I couldn't have done this without you."

The brown-haired girl nodded and smiled. "Get going, you'll want to be in bed before I start."

Vanellope rushed away, undressing and hopping into bed as quickly as possible. The last thought she had before she fell asleep was how happy Ralph would be the next time she saw him.

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To Be Continued

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**_I know I said I wouldn't do it, but I want to write more Jawbreaker stories, and I'm tired of the hate mail I'm receiving for my first one where I didn't age Vanellope up. This was the most plausible way I could think of to do it, and thanks to a fan for the mushroom idea - I won't name names in case they don't want to be identified, but call yourself out on that if you want. ;)_**

**_More coming soon! Stay tuned!_**


	2. Chapter 1

**_Hi there! Here's a little back story. It seems like in all my fanfics, Vanellope is the one who starts things, but it just seems more likely to me that she would. I think she's more innately sure what she wants, and liable to recognize it, than he is. In any case, hope you all enjoy this. :) _Updated to change just a couple of words, no need to reread.**

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Chapter One

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Ralph sighed as he stared into nothingness above the dump in _Fix-it Felix, Jr._ He hadn't seen Vanellope in quite a while. Two weeks was too long, he thought, but she was avoiding him. And, frankly, he couldn't blame her after his abhorrent behavior.

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Two weeks ago...

_He was sitting on the edge of the track, leaning back on his elbows and grinning as he watched Vanellope circling in her cart. She could have had any cart she wanted now, but she still insisted on keeping that first cart they had made together, and the knowledge left something warm in his chest. The cart sparkled in the sun as she came to a halt next to him, her wheels squealing as they showered him with powdered cocoa. "Hey, President Doody-Pants, cut it out!" he shouted in a not-so-angry voice._

_He smiled as she laughed, climbing onto him to wipe the brownish dust off his face with the edge of her green sleeve. Then he froze as she pressed her lips to his._

_She had hopped down and was back in her cart, darting about, before his sluggish brain could function enough to know that he was uncomfortable. After that first, quick peck, he didn't say anything. No need to make her uncomfortable, too; nothing really untoward had happened. She was just a little girl. It was most likely an innocent gesture of affection, and his distress was a result of not knowing how friends acted with each other, not ever really having one before. Although he doubted he would let such a thing pass without protest if Felix tried it...But Vanellope was more of a physical being anyway. Or at least she had been recently. It was fine, he decided, and the next hour or so passed without incident._

_Later, as Ralph stood to leave, she pulled on the drooping corner of his overalls so he looked towards her. "Don't I get a hug, Stink Brain?" Vanellope whined._

_"Uh... sure." He stretched his arms out, and held her gently against him as she jumped up into them. "Thanks for letting me drop by," he muttered lamely._

_"Anytime!" she said excitedly. Then she kissed him again, lingering with a satisfied noise, and this time Ralph decided it was definitely not okay._

_He pushed her back. "Look, kid, you're gonna have to stop that," he said, sounding meaner than he intended. __The hurt look on her face made him feel bad, so he hurried to explain. "I'm just afraid people are gonna get the wrong idea. You know, kissing like that is something adults do when they are married, or dating."_

_Vanellope looked confused for a moment, and Ralph had a sudden, terrible fear that it would fall to him to explain such things as dating and boyfriends and other, even more horrifying topics to her. _

_"Well, I know that," she began. He experienced a brief moment of relief before she finished, "That's why I only kiss you. DUH."_

_The terror was back. "Excuse me?"_

_"We're dating, right?" She looked into his eyes, her own full of concern. "These are dates, aren't they? When you come over and spend time with me?"_

_Ralph dropped her on the ground. "No. We are NOT dating," he said forcefully._

_Vanellope landed on her bum with a squeak. Looking up from the dusty ground, she looked really hurt now. "No?"_

_"NO! Of course not!" His brain was spinning. How could he have misread this? He had to fix it. "You're just a child. I can't feel that way about a child. Why do you even want to date __**me**__? I'm not boyfriend material. And you're a kid!"_

_The look on Vanellope's face told him that he had most assuredly said the wrong thing. "I thought...you were more open-minded," she said in an accusatory tone, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're a freaking __**bad guy**__ that saved my life, Dip-Switch. You're not what you seem either. I hate you."_

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With a sob, Vanellope had run off towards the palace, and Ralph had just watched her go, so confused by what was happening that he couldn't follow. Before she was out of sight, the regret had set in.

After some discussion with Felix, who agreed that he had done the right thing but gone about it the wrong way, he had left Vanellope alone for a few days. He was unsure how to fix things. Then, with a prepared apology and statement about how important their friendship was to him and how he didn't want to ruin it, and what a wonderful girl she was, he went to see her.

She wasn't there. He asked her little friend Snowanna where she was, and she grumpily replied that she didn't know, she was spending time with another girl named Crumbelina. This seemed unlikely since he knew Snowanna was her best friend, but far from looking like she was trying to hide something, Snow looked miffed. He apologized and left.

Several more trips over the next few days netted the same results. Ralph supposed he should be more understanding; he had acted like a complete imbecile. He resolved to find her after closing time tomorrow and set things right.

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Felix was worried about his friend. He knew Ralph was planning to find Vanellope and apologize tonight, but the whole day the wrecker had seemed distracted, staring out of the front of their game as though looking for something. Every now and then, he looked confused, as though he was seeing something he just couldn't grasp.

After closing time, Felix caught him as he moved to board the train. "Wait, Ralph. I know what you're planning to do," he began, "but you've been really out of it today. Are you sure this is a good idea right now? Maybe you should wait for her to come to you."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was looking for Vanellope," he said, "but I couldn't really find her. She's always on the roster, but today I couldn't see her. And, I kept seeing someone I... thought was her, but..." He trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"What is it?" Felix urged.

"Well, it looked like an adult racer." Ralph searched his memory, then turned to Felix. "But _Sugar Rush _doesn't have any, right?"

Felix squinted, trying to remember too. "Not that I can think of, but you spend more time there than I do anyway, brother. Couldn't you see who it was when they won a race and popped up on the screen?"

"She never won," Ralph said, shrugging. "All I could see was the small picture when the kids were choosing their racer, then the back of her head."

"Well... does that really matter right now, Ralph?" Felix asked, flummoxed.

"It just looked like..." He was too self-conscious to say, though. He shook his head and sat on the largest seat on the train. "It doesn't. You're right," he agreed. "I'm going to head to Tapper's to see if anyone has seen Vanellope there."

"Good luck," Felix said as the train began to move, and Ralph waved at him as he traveled out of sight down the dark tunnel.

Felix spent the next half an hour trying to find repairs to make on the apartments, looking for something to pass the time. He knew he didn't have anything else to do today, and he wanted to be here in case Ralph needed support when he returned. When he couldn't find anything to fix, he decided to start building little structures out of items in the dump, and hitting them with his hammer to make them solidify. He finally went to sit at the train platform, awaiting his friends return. He hoped the late return meant Vanellope and Ralph were making up.

When it finally did come, he was surprised to see a young woman sitting on it. She looked very familiar; but seeing the candy sprinkling her hair, he realized this must be the racer Ralph had been referring to. He jumped up and held out a hand as the train came to a stop. "Evenin', little lady! What brings you..." He trailed off, staring into the familiar hazel eyes, recognizing her with a jolt.

She smiled brightly. "Where's Ralph?"

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Tapper's had been a bust. No one there had any idea where Vanellope von Schweetz was; hell, most of them hadn't even heard of her. He tried to hold off his frustration, stopping to enjoy a quick rootbeer.

He finally thought he'd had a stroke of luck when a Goomba he happened across in Game Central Station mentioned she'd spent every night for the last week in _Super Mario Bros. _with Princess Peach, so he'd paid her a visit. She'd been no help at all, acting all squirrely and encouraging him to head home to think instead of trying to help. He got up from his seat on a bench just outside the castle, intending to go back to _Sugar Rush _after all since clearly Vanellope wasn't here.

Finally, the princess grabbed his hand, looking at him seriously. "Ralph. Listen to me. Go home. GO HOME."

He narrowed his eyes. "I know she's mad, but I have to find her and apologize. You wouldn't underst-"

"RALPH!" He paused at Peach's sharp tone, staring as she glanced around the yard to see if anyone was listening. "I promised I wouldn't say anything, but she wants to see you now," she hissed.

"What, really?"

She rolled her eyes. "She's going to your house, she's probably already there! Just go! Go, now!"

Ralph took off running as fast as he could. As he emerged into the station, he was actually happy to see people clearing a path so he could speed unimpeded down the way. He didn't bother to wait, instead running as quickly as he could through the tunnel back to _Fix-it Felix, Jr._ He tore out of the tunnel, out of breath and anxious, frantically looking around for her, but no one was there.

"Great job, Ralph," he berated himself, crossing his arms and looking grumpy. Thinking that she might come back, he walked towards his shack, planning to wait it out for tonight.

He was still a few yards away when the door opened and Felix rushed out. "Ralph! Wait a sec-"

"Felix! Great! Have you seen- Wait a sec. What are you doing in my house?"

Felix rushed over and grabbed his arm, pulling him away. "She insisted on waiting inside- We gotta talk before-"

"_RALPH!_"

He had time to see a blur of color before someone collided with his chest and he fell backwards. The impact left him senseless for a second, before he looked up to see long black hair sprinkled with candy, gold and green eyes, and a mischievous smile on a face that was much more mature than it should be.

"Vanellope?"

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To Be Continued...

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	3. Chapter 2

_**Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Also, thank you so much for the encouraging words, from reviewers and those who sent me a private message. You are all SO amazing, and I really appreciate the kind words. I love Vanellope and Ralph, and I love writing about them in a natural way, and I'm so happy that people like it. :D Anyway, enjoy the new chapter, and take a look at the note at the bottom.**  
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Chapter Two

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_Earlier the same day..._

Vanellope groaned and stretched as she woke up, then exhaled loudly as she relaxed back onto the bed. Something felt off, but it was a few minutes before she figured out what it was. Then, remembering, she gasped and leaped out of bed, looking down.

She was taller. Her hair was longer. She pulled the top of her camisole open and looked down.

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Vanellope yelled, dancing around the room. She rushed over to the mirror, examining the results of many days hard work.

Being a petite girl to begin with, the mushrooms they had tested on her had only made her five feet tall, but since she knew Ralph was nine feet at least, she had asked Crumbs to adjust the measurement to make her a bit taller. Not too much more, because the wider the variation, the more likely they were to make an error in one of the compensating adjustments, but she ended up five feet, six inches tall. She turned to examine her behind which, along with her breasts, she had asked to have a little larger. She was thinking of her friend Calhoun and how men's gazes always seemed to linger on her form.

Completely unaware of how silly she looked, she turned a few times before her full-length mirror, stretched her arms back to see how she looked with her shirt stretched over her chest now, immediately giggling at herself. Then ran her hands up and down her long legs; as soon as she thought about how different the view was, she stumbled, feeling a bit of vertigo.

As she flopped back onto the bed, the door opened and Crumbelina came in. "Did it work?" she asked groggily. Then, as soon as she got a look at her friend, she jumped up and down, shrieking in delight. Vanellope leaped up to join her, getting used to the strange sensation of reaching down to grab the girl's hands as they hopped around, squealing in joy together.

After the initial excitement, Crumbelina really examined her head to foot. "Everything is how you want it?" she asked seriously, inspecting her hands. "Even... you know...?

Vanellope blushed. Their sessions had included an awkward two hour span where she'd been forced to think about what her private areas were going to look like. "I haven't really checked..."

Crumbelina scowled. "Well, let me get out of here for a few minutes. You want to make sure it's all exactly right so you're ready to go get him later." Walking to the door, she turned to Vanellope once more. "Just come get me if you need anything else, and we'll go talk to everyone together before opening time."

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Soon, Vanellope had picked out a new racing outfit based on what she thought would look the best over her new features. The shiny mint green jumpsuit was broken up on the sleeves by pink and white squares making a checked pattern on the smooth material. She also popped her pink goggles on and strode confidently out to the track.

Although she had enjoyed an exciting morning, and the other racers had been super excited for her, some even expressing interest in undergoing the same process, the rest of the day was... less than stellar.

Although adjustments had been made to the code of her cart as well, so she could still drive it, working with a new cart in a new body made for a rough racing day. She was hitting the wrong pedals, over-doing turns. At least she hadn't run into any walls, and she was doing better by the end of the day, although she hadn't won a single race. The Random Roster Race hadn't gone well either. She placed eighth, the worst she could remember placing. Ever.

As she climbed out of her cart, Snowanna ran over to her. "Look, I'm still angry with you for leaving me out of the loop on this one, but you should know Ralph has been trying to find you."

"Really? He was looking for me?" She hadn't considered that he would, but now she felt stupid.

"He said he wanted to apologize. I think he thinks you don't want to see him." She sniffed. "Frankly, so did I. I might have been able to reassure him if you had told me what was going on."

Vanellope rolled her eyes. "Snowanna. You would have told me to talk to Crumbelina, right?"

"Maybe." If possible, the rainbow haired girl looked even more disgruntled.

"You know you would have. She's the best person for the job. You've seen her marzipan sculptures, you know she was the only option." Vanellope was quiet, waiting for Snowanna's response. When she didn't, Vanellope sighed. "Okay. I'm sorry."

As she said it, Princess Peach appeared over Snowanna's shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt! Just wanted to see our results! Oh, Vanellope, you look amazing! Has-"

"Princess Not-Even-In-This-Game knew about it, TOO?" Snowanna interrupted, outraged. "What the fudge, Vanellope!" She stormed back toward her cart, ignoring Vanellope's cries.

"Want me go tell her why you needed me to be involved?" Peach offered, looking slightly offended.

"No, I'll... no. I'll explain later. Maybe Ralph-" She broke off, looking excited again. "He's been looking for me! I can't wait to see him! And he always helps me know what to do, I know he could help with this."

"Oh, how romantic!" Peach said dreamily, clasping her white-gloved hands together against her cheek. "See, I bet he's reconsidered what he said already. Just wait until he gets a look at you now!"

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"Where's Ralph?" Vanellope hadn't meant to sound so quite so rude, so she tried to smile into Felix's disbelieving eyes as the train came to a stop in Fix-it Felix, Jr.

"Ralph? He's out lookin' for- My lands, Vanellope, what- how-" The handyman seemed at a loss for words as Vanellope stood, several inches taller than he was now. "What have you done, sweet-pie?"

"Ralph said he couldn't date me cause I was little," she said, face falling. "I'm not little anymore. Well," she paused shrugging, "I'm still littler than him, but who isn't? I mean, come on, look at the guy," she finished, laughing.

Felix looked extremely concerned, frowning up at her. "You- you changed your code? This is extreme! Bad news!"

"Why are you being such a Fuddy-Duddy?" She scowled, crossing her arms in annoyance. The movement wasn't as seamless as it used to be, and she accidentally punched herself in the chest. "Ouch! Darn it! That was your fault for being stupid!"

"Maybe you should head back ta your game and let me talk ta Ralph 'bout what you've done before he sees you," Felix said imploringly, his head full to the brim of terrible visions of how horrible awry his friends reaction could go. "He might not be quite as pleased as ya think..."

The girl flipped her candy-coated hair over her shoulder and strode off the platform, Felix hurrying to catch up. "I'll just wait in his house, I'm sure he'll be back soon. Oh, I can't wait! It's gonna be AWESOME!"

He trailed along as she opened Ralph's front door and walked right inside, acting for all the world as though it were her own home. "Wait, maybe we shouldn't-"

With a happy sigh Vanellope flopped back onto Ralph's bed, burying her face in his pillow, and Felix stood by and fidgeted with his hat. "I don't think it's a good idea to let Ralph see you like this without any warning. He'll be downright spooked." He tried to meet her eyes, but she didn't seem to be listening.

Glancing through the window, he saw Ralph looking around, something akin to disappointment on his face. Vanellope was still rolling around excitedly on bed, so Felix moved to the door, opening it and trying to close it quietly. "Ralph, wait a sec-"

"Felix! Great! Have you seen- Hold on. What are you doing in my house?" Ralph's face took on a suspicious expression.

Felix rushed over and grabbed his arm, pulling him away. With any luck he could at least soften the blow. "She insisted on waiting inside- We gotta talk before-"

"_RALPH!_"

Both their heads snapped up at the cry, and Felix winced as he saw the Vanellope, seemingly even quicker with her longer legs, tackling Ralph. Surprisingly, the large man went down. They landed with Vanellope straddling his stomach, her hands leaning on his chest as she grinned down at him.

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When Ralph's eyes finally focused on her, his face went completely white. Was this... "Vanellope?"

"In the flesh, Stink Brain!" She sat back up and gestured to herself. "What do you think?"

He stared at her new form, eyes caressing the lines of her face, then unable to tear his eyes away from her chest, which was partially exposed because of the plunging neckline that led to a zipper. When he realized what he was doing, and who he was talking to, he ripped his eyes away and stared up at the stars. "What happened to you?" he grated out, breath coming fast and erratic.

"Uh, I'm headin' home, see ya later, friends," Felix said awkwardly, taking off at a jog for the apartment building.

Ralph stared after him for a moment, but then Vanellope said, "Finally. Alone at last." He turned to her and found her lips to his for the third time, her chest pressed against him.

This time, it felt a lot less wrong.

He pulled away, horrified. "Stop it," he said, shoving her off of him and onto the ground. "What- Why do you look like that?"

Vanellope pouted from her new spot on the grass, her hair coming forward to hide her face. "I was tired of being a kid, tired of you treating me like a kid. Don't you like it?"

Ralph sat up, his eyes narrowing as his arms crossed. "You did this on purpose?" It took a moment for the full impact of what had happened to descend upon him. "You changed your _code_?"

"I did what I had to do," she said quickly, feeling that the conversation was not going in the direction she wanted. She sat up on her knees and grabbed his hands. She was totally unaware of how the position made her look to him, her knees spread and her new breasts about to pop out of her top. "Now we can be together, Ralph, like we're supposed-"

Filled with an equal amount of inappropriate desire and disgust, his face filled with revulsion, he stood. "You can't mess with the program, Vanellope." His blood ran cold. "This is exactly what Turbo did."

"No, no!" she rose quickly, reaching up to put her hands on his shoulders. "I'm not trying to steal anyone's spot! I'm still me, I'm still Princess Vanellope in the game! I did this because I-I love you! Don't you love me?"

His heart twisted as he looked into her eyes. "I can't. You're still just a little girl."

He watched her eyes dying as she took in what he'd said, felt her pulling away slightly in the small silence. "I was never just a little girl, Ralph," she whispered, staring at his chest. "I thought you were the only one who saw that, but..."

"I didn't mean-" His voice cut off as she raced away, hopping into the train that was still waiting. As soon as there was weight on it, the train registered the need to move and took off, and by the time Ralph had found his feet she was gone.

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To Be Continued

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**_I originally wrote in a mature bit at the top where Vanellope as some fun by herself, but I still wanted this fanfic to be "T" too. I have it saved if anyone is interested. I almost didn't ask because it seems like EVERYONE would be interested, but please feel free to leave a quick note in your review or private message if you don't want to call yourself out._**

**_Thanks for reading again!_**


	4. Chapter 3

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Chapter Three

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Vanellope hadn't left her game in weeks. After her unfortunate first encounter with Ralph, post-code alteration, she hadn't been able to get up the nerve to leave and risk another explosion if she ran into him. She didn't think her tattered heart could take it if he railed at her again.

Though she had originally only changed her form to please Ralph, Vanellope found she couldn't consider changing back now. She loved the way she felt in it, loved the way she was treated by visitors, and even by the programs in her own game. After the initial success, Crumbelina had been hard at work modifying the code of the other racers as well, which seemed to be going faster and faster. Within that time, Snowanna, Taffyta, Rancis, and many others had updated their code to appear older, though some opted to keep their current appearance too.

There was a bit of concern when Mr. Litwak spent an afternoon peering over patrons shoulders and squinting at the racers on screen. He occasionally tapped the screen, frowning and muttering to himself. Some of the candy citizens were panicking, scared that they would be unplugged because of the racers updating their code. By that evening, however, the old entreprenuer patted the machine kindly, saying, "Well, if they liked you with that creepy little king guy, they'll still like you now, old girl. Wish I knew how you were doing it." Then he walked away, shaking his head.

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One day, as she was wiping down her cart after a long, hard day of racing, Snowanna rushed over to her, looking excited. "Vanellope, I have a *date* tonight!"

Snowanna's new form was shorter than Vanellope, a little thicker around the middle but not unpleasantly so, especially with such a generous bust. Her hair was basically the same with a few new, vibrant color stripes, her traditional pantsuit now striped with similar colors and gold trim.

The shocked president tried to smile, remembering that she should be happy for her best friend no matter how badly her own foray into romance had gone. "That's wonderful, Snow!" she said, more heartily than natural. "With who?"

"It's Snake, from Metal Gear!"

"Oh..." Vanellope was mystified. "I... I didn't know you even knew Solid Snake... where did you run into him?"

"I don't really. I met him when Swizzle and I were leaving DDR last night, and he asked if I was free for dinner tonight. I was wondering if you could tag along, though."

Vanellope dropped her rag. "Uh... what?"

She lowered her voice. "He said he wanted to bring his friend with him, so I should bring someone too. Please come, Vanellope! Please?" She looked desperate. "The only reason he asked was because his buddy likes *you*! He won't take me if you don't come!"

Vanellope winced and grabbed her hand. "Do you... I mean, are you sure you want to date someone who's not really interested?"

Snowanna shrugged. "I just wanna have fun. You in?"

Now the dark-haired girl frowned. "Maybe. Who is this friend of his?" she asked suspiciously. Metal Gear wasn't a game she was very familiar with, being located on the opposite end of the arcade.

"I didn't ask!" Snow exclaimed in exasperation. "Come on, it'll be fun! You'll feel better if you get your mind off Mr. Poo Poo Head anyway."

Vanellope giggled a bit at that, glitching slightly before she grew serious again. "Okay, okay," she said, "I know you're right. I'm just still upset. I don't think I can ever forgive him for comparing me to that monster, but I still miss him so much." Tears welled unbidden in her eyes.

She didn't need to elaborate for her brightly dressed friend to know who she was talking about. "Girl, it's been almost two months," Snow protested, eyes narrowed. "You don't even have to talk to Ralph or see him or anything, but if you can't forgive him, it's time to move on."

Vanellope closed her eyes, thinking for a moment. "...I suppose one date won't hurt... I'll do it."

"Yay!" Snowanna screeched, jumping up and down. "Let's go get ready! I've got my outfit in my bag!"

With a delighted laugh, Vanellope allowed herself to be pulled towards the castle.

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Snake's friend turned out to be a quiet, somewhat shy but fairly handsome young man named Otacon. Things seemed to go well as they settled at the third bar back and talked a bit. It was pleasant enough to sit and chat, though Otacon didn't say much more than soft one word answers. But he was polite (and handsome, Vanellope mused), and things seemed to be moving along smoothly until Snake stood and asked Snowanna to dance.

The dark skinned racer had chosen a glittering gold halter top that set off her complexion beautifully and paired it with neon orange bell bottoms. The effect was a little eye watering at first, but she looked every bit the part as she and her date took to the dance floor, the low light glimmering off of her top.

Vanellope turned hopefully to Otacon, eyes bright. "Want to join them?" she asked excitedly. She had also tried out another of her new outfits this evening, just a simple black dress, off the shoulder with a little mint colored bow. The idea of showing off a little was appealing.

"Uh...not really..." he said quietly.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" she encouraged, then stuck her tongue out. For someone who was supposedly interested in her, he didn't seem very eager to please.

"Probably," he softly agreed, taking her hand. Her eyes widened as he leaned in slightly, eyes sparkling behind his wire framed glasses before he kissed her hand. "I just think it'll be much, much more fun to get to know you right now, don't you?"

"Wow, smooth," she said teasingly, trying to cover a sudden feeling of alarm. "And here I thought you had a two word vocabulary!" He finally smiled for the first time, still holding her hand and stroking his thumb gently over her fingers, and Vanellope felt pleasurably flushed, the trepidation morphing into excitement. Her hand tingled where his lips had brushed her skin.

"I guess I am a bit of an introvert." Otacon almost whispered the words, looking slightly abashed. "I saw you once when you were out in the station and I..." Now he was blushing and looking uncertain. "...I didn't see you again. I looked for you, asked around about you... I wasn't being a freak or anything, it's just... you're so beautiful. I wanted to get to know you."

At a loss for words, she stared at him like a deer caught in the headlights. These were the things she'd been hoping... no, expecting to hear from Ralph before. Coming from this unknown man, it seemed strange and surreal, almost unnatural. But Ralph didn't even care about her enough to try to mend the rift between them that grew worse every passing day."Oh..." she squeaked, afraid to move her hand for fear the moment would shatter. "That's very... surprising..."

"Why would that be?" he asked curiously.

"No one has thought that before!" she answered truthfully.

"I think that's the surprising thing," he countered.

Vanellope giggled and blushed even more brightly. All the mushy stuff seemed off somehow, but she pushed aside the little voice in her head that said it would go down easier with a hefty dose of teasing and tried not to imagine that the hand holding hers was much larger. "You're very sweet," she said.

"But...?" he prompted, already looking disappointed.

Sighing, she pulled her hand away. "I have feelings for someone else. And even if he doesn't feel the same way, I'm just not ready to move on yet."

Otacon laughed. "I can't imagine who would make that mistake." With a sobering expression, he took a large drink of his scotch. "If you ever are ready to, look me up. May I steal one kiss?"

She nodded, and he leaned over to lightly kiss her. It wasn't unpleasant, she thought, but it certainly wasn't shifting her paradigm or anything either. Moving away, she smiled again. "Thanks for being so- Woah!"

Otacon flew up into the air, suspended by the one huge, horribly familiar hand. She covered her mouth with both hands, gasping as she looked up into Ralph's enraged, contorted face.

"What do you think you're doing?"

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TBC

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THANK YOU for all the reviews! I love to see the feedback you guys have for my stories SO MUCH! Sorry to end it here. It's just been WAY too long since an update, and I felt inspired by Moonlady, who just updated her fic, "The Upgrade". :) Also, I'm finally happy with this chapter. It was a rough one. I do feel bad for poor Otacon... Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! More to come soon!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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**_Sorry this is taking so long, everyone. I'm slowly reconstructing everything. Thank so much for all your reviews and support, I SUPER appreciate it! Here's a shortish chapter with the promise of another fun mature bit coming soon. ;) Hope you enjoy! _**

**_._**

Ralph heaved great breaths as he tried to find something else to smash into oblivion after Vanellope's swift departure. His shack was levelled, as was the train station, the tracks, and the train itself. He felt a burning desire to move on to the apartment buildings and continue his path of destruction, but he held it back. He had come too far with the Nicelanders and Q*bert's gang to start antagonizing them again, so he made do with a loud roar and beating the ground.

"Uh...Ralph...? Are you done yet?"

He jerked his head around to scowl at Felix, who was standing near the wreckage of the train. "Yeah... I guess," he mumbled, deflating.

Felix hopped forward and began to reconstruct the station bit by bit. "Now, what in the world happened?"

The huge man scratched the back of his neck, then rubbed his face. "I told her... I said she was like..." He groaned and smashed the small part of the train station Felix had rebuilt. "I told her she did was Turbo had done. It was all wrong," he finished lamely.

"Well, I can see that. My lands! You compared her to Turbo?" Felix rebuilt it again, then pushing Ralph backward and out of reach. "Why don't you sit down and cool off for a bit while I put everything in order?" he said, sounding a bit exasperated.

Ralph plopped down, leaving a dip in the ground beneath him. "I can't believe she would do this. And I acted like a monster."

"What do you mean?"

He groaned again. "I can't talk about this..."

"Well," Felix began good-naturedly,"Tammy and I haven't been together too long, but I find if you said something you regret, you're just gonna have to apologize." Things were coming back together quickly, but with his concentration elsewhere he spoke without thinking. "It doesn't matter if you think she was wrong, 'cause she thinks you're wrong too. You have to make it right if you love her." Ralph was silent so long that Felix finally ceased his mending and turned to face his friend.

Ralph was glowering down at him even from his sitting position, face flushed dangerously. "Why are you comparing my friendship with Vanellope to your marriage?" he ground out, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"No, I just mean, in ANY relationship, not just romantic," Felix amended hastily. "She might have been wrong to change her code, I won't argue that, but it sounds like you said some terrible things to her and you need to be the bigger person." Felix gave him a concerned look. "You are overreacting! Don't be so defensive!"

Relaxing slowly, Ralph lowered his fist. "I just need to be alone for a while."

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When he said he needed to be alone, Ralph meant it. For the next few weeks he didn't set foot outside his game.

He spent his days demolishing the apartment building, and his nights laying sleepless in his bed. When the arcade closed he marched moodily off to his shack, ignoring any attempt at conversation or camaraderie Vanellope haunted his every thought, his every dream. It was surreal, the image of young Vanellope morphing with the new body he'd had only a brief glimpse of so far. His mind was already replacing the little girl he'd known with a self-assured young woman.

It was with a growing amount of shame that he found himself turning to his hand to still the burning desire he couldn't overcome, when cold showers began to fail him. Disgust became his only bedfellow.

He stopped going to Bad Anon meetings, he stopped talking to anyone.

His life was falling apart.

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A long while later, a knock on his door brought him out of his self-imposed depression. "What?" he demanded grumpily from his seat on his bed.

Taking this as an invitation to enter, Zangief burst in, the small space seeming to barely contain both his and Ralph's bulk. "Ralph, it is long time, friend!" he boomed, coming to sit next to Ralph on his mattress. "I have not seen you!"

Ralph groaned and rested his head in his hands. "What do you want, Zangief?"

"I wish only to see my friend, ask how he is," the Russian answered, slapping Ralph's back enthusiastically. He hunkered down onto the bed with him so he could take up a little less space in the crowded room. "You are missed! At meetings, we ask, 'Where is Ralph?' and no one can answer!"

"Missed by who?" the wrecker grumbled glumly, staring at the ground.

"Ralph! Stop acting like _sraka_!" The stern tone of the normally upbeat wrestler's voice caught his attention, and he looked up into the hazel eyes, the serious look taking him by surprise. "Your friends miss you and are worried! What is going on?" The expression on his face left little room for Ralph to dismiss him.

There were several moments of silence as Zangief waited for his friend's explanation. "It's...Vanellope..." Ralph began, hesitantly. "She...she's changed..."

"You find her so changed you no longer like her?" he asked, disbelieving.

"No, no!" Conflicting emotions clashed inside Ralph's head. "I like her, I do. Too much..." This seemed to amuse the Russian to no end, and he chuckled heartily to see Ralph's discomfort "What?" Ralph demanded.

"Oh, ho! Zangief is not blind, he sees the truth. You want her as woman now!"

Ralph flushed brightly. Finally, here, shut away from all but this friend he had grown to trust only recently, he found he could admit it. "I... I guess I do. But I can't ever give in to those feelings. She's ...just ...so young. I said some terrible things. I don't know to make that better... And even if I can make it better, how can I keep my hands off her?"

Zangief winced sympathetically. "Come out with me, Ralph. Felix and Calhoun are outside, and Satine, Bowser, Gene. They want to take you out, cheer you up."

Ralph shook his head. "Everyone knows?" he whispered hoarsely.

"They know you are upset, comrade, they know this princess changed her code. Nothing more." He pounded Ralph's back. "And Zangief will not tell them! Have no fear!"

With a grimace, Ralph finally agreed. "All right. I'll go."

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Tapper's place was booming business when they arrived, and Ralph's friends swiftly took him to find a seat near the dance floor as Bowser stepped up to the bar to order drinks.

"Sit here, Ralph," Gene said, patting the seat next to his.

Ralph slid into the chair, trying not to look too grumpy. He was grateful, after all, that he finally had friends who cared enough about him that they would even bother with this display.

They spoke for a long time, mostly the other characters telling stories and sharing. After a small silence, Satine asked, "So, Ralph, how have you been? Did something happen that upset you?"

"I... uh..." He reached up and rubbed his neck, looking at the table. He didn't really want to talk about this. "It's just a woman thing..."

"Look, Ralph," Felix said. "Maybe if we arranged some different companionship for you, things would-"

"You just need to get some," his wife interrupted roughly. "There's a likely subject at two o'clock."

Ralph turned his head and saw a very comely female character, one he'd met before. Morrigan, was it, from _Dark Stalkers__? _He turned back in disgust. "Look, I don't need advice on who-" Suddenly, a flash of gold and a blur of orange caught his attention, and he focused on a strangely familiar woman dancing with Solid Snake on the dance floor. "Who..." he mumbled, staring at her in a fairly rude fashion for several moments.

"Ah, Ralph..." he heard Zangief begin. "Come with me to bar."

"Is that..." The realization was simultaneously obvious, and unbelievable. "Snowanna?!"

As he stood, Felix touched his hand. "Wait a tick, brother, I don't think it means-"

The huge man walked back into the bar, completely missing whatever the next words were to come out of Felix's mouth. He scanned the packed tables. Then his heart stopped, and his vision turned red.

Vanellope.

Kissing.

_SOME MAN._

His mood must have been palpable, since the crowd parted easily before him as he stormed up to where they were seated. Luckily, the unfortunate youth before him, who he now realized was Otacon, had pulled back by the time he got there. It was easy to grab him by the back of the shirt and lift him up to eye level. "What do you think you're doing?" he growled angrily.

Otacon stared at him, wide eyed and fearful. "I- I- I was-"

"RALPH!" He completely ignored Vanellope as she batted at his arm. "Put him down! It's not what you think!"

"No one kisses her!" he shouted, letting the rage flow. "No one touches her! What is this, a date?"

"Well, yes-"

That was all Otacon got out before Ralph shook him. "She can't go on dates! I won't allow it!"

"EXCUSE ME?" Vanellopes voice was so loud and shrill, that he finally did look at her. Even when she was so angry she was beet red, the princess was gorgeous, he thought. She lit up the room. How could he have missed her before? "YOU won't _allow it_?! Where do you get off, you Dopey, Ear-Waxy King of SELFISHNESS?!"

"Ralph is the guy, huh?" Otacon asked, looking to Vanellope in defeat. He seemed to be relaxing a bit, despite still dangling a few feet in the air.

"What guy?!" Ralph demanded, coming back to his senses.

"Put him down, Ralph. Now!" He did as she asked, and quietly fumed as she turned to the smaller man. "Otacon, I'm so sorry. Thank you for a _lovely _evening," she said loudly, more for Ralph's benefit than his.

"You're welcome. Have a good night." He turned to Ralph. "You're a lucky man," he added, holding his hand out.

Ralph stared dumbfoundedly, but finally shook it coldly and glared until Otacon was out of sight.

"Ralph, you idiot, I can't believe you would do this!" Vanellope shouted again.

"You can't believe I- I would-" He couldn't believe his ear. "You are the one- who is not to be believed! You are much too little to be going out on dates, young lady!"

Vanellope hopped up onto the stool she had previously be sitting on so she could look Ralph in the eye easily. "I am NOT a little girl!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"AM NOT!" Vanellope was fuming. "I can't believe you have the gumballs to say this crap to me after- after-"

"Well, someone's gotta say it," he said, leaning closer. Their faces were inches apart. "And if it's gotta be me, then-"

"I hate you!" she shrieked, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "I hate-"

They both jumped back, silent as Felix's face popped up between them. "Hey, there, friends," he said politely, looking worried. "I just wanted to let you know... you seem to be makin' a bit of a spectacle here... Maybe you could take this little argument outside?"

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The door out of the tavern and into the tunnel slammed open, and Vanellope strode out. "I can't believe you," she yelled, whirling on Ralph as he exited behind her "How can you justify this? You completely reject me WEEKS ago, and now you-"

"I didn't mean to reject you!" he yelled back, gesturing emphatically. "I was scared, okay?"

"Scared? Of WHAT?!" She started to laugh derisively, but stopped when she saw his serious expression.

"What wasn't I scared of?" he demanded, stalking forward. She back away as he advanced, feeling apprehensive. "You had changed your code! How could I know that the Vanellope I knew and loved was still in there? How could I resist this...this!?"

Vanellope's back hit a wall, and suddenly all she could see was his bulk, his face as she looked up at him. "You didn't need to resist it, Stink Brain!" she whispered, his face inches from her own. "Didn't you know?"

It was suddenly too much for him to bear. He pressed her against the wall, his lips crushing down onto hers while his huge hands pressed her flush against his body, her new, sinfully soft breasts pressed up against his chest. She moaned wantonly; this was it, the passion that had been missing earlier. Opening her mouth to let him kiss her fully, she wrapped her legs around his waist, loving the feel of his weight dominating her.

She tasted perfect, like everything Ralph had ever wanted or needed. He grasped her hips without thinking, biting her lower lip gently as she moaned. Then he pulled back, realizing what he was doing. "I'm sorry," he said, horrified.

"Don't be." She smiled up at him, her lips rosy and swollen, looking thoroughly debauched as she clung onto his torso. "And I don't hate you. Can you do it again?"

Warning bells were going off in his head, but he was able to ignore them perfectly, granting her request.

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TBC


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